Entities with substantial printing demands typically use a production printer. A production printer is a high-speed printer used for volume printing (e.g., one hundred pages per minute or more). Production printers include continuous-forms printers that print on a web of print media stored on a large roll.
A production printer typically includes a localized print controller that controls the overall operation of the printing system, and a print engine (sometimes referred to as an “imaging engine” or a “marking engine”). The print engine includes one or more printhead assemblies, with each assembly including a printhead controller and a printhead (or array of printheads). An individual printhead includes multiple tiny nozzles that are configured to discharge ink as controlled by the printhead controller. A printhead array is formed from multiple printheads that are spaced in series across the width of the web of print media.
While the printer prints, the web is quickly passed underneath the nozzles, which discharge ink onto the web at intervals to form pixels. A radiant dryer, installed downstream from the printer, may assist in drying the wet ink on the web after the web leaves the printer. A typical radiant dryer includes an array of radiant heat lamps. Drying the web can prove challenging due to variation of a number of factors, including the web's physical characteristics, speed of the web, print quality demands, etc. Moreover, insufficient drying may result in smearing while excessive drying may result in scorching, curling, and other defects. Therefore, precise control over the amount and location of heat applied to a web is desirable.